Ribbed board



April.20, 1937.

s. A. Bu TREss f RIBBED BOARD,

File'doc'g. 2a, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J W M in nu mi IA Patented Aprr 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a wall board and more particularly pertains to a fabricated surface forming or surface covering strip or panel of the character adapted to be utilized either as a lath for 5 the reception of plaster in the forming of plaster walls, or as a surface finish where .it is desired to provide a fluted or ribbed surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a wall board or lath of the above character which is so 10 formed as to obviate the.employment of composition fillers such as is commonly used in the manufacture of composition boards employing facing and backing sheets with a hardened composition therebetween.

15 A further object is to provide a ribbed fluted wall board fabricated of sheet material embody? ing a backing sheet with a facing sheet carried by the backing sheet, in which the facing sheet is formed with a series of parallel hollow ribs so as to provide the board with air spaces and.

therebyimpart to the board the property of insulation against sound and temperature.

-Another object is to provide a board of the above character which may be formed entirely of fibrous sheet material, such aspaper or fiber board, apart from a modicum of adhesive employed in uniting adjacent of the sheets.

Another object is to provide a wall board which is extremely light in weight yet sufiiciently strong 30 to serve either as a support for plaster, or as a finished wall surface, and which is adapted to be readily cut and fitted in its application and which is characterized by flexibility in the direction of its width and rigidity in the direction of 35 its length thereby rendering it readilyapplicable for formingcurved surfaces suchv as coves, and rounded corners, cylindrical columns and thelike. A further object is to provide a wall board of the character described which can be produced 40 and marketed at extremely low cost and which may accordingly be employed with greater economy than the wall boards now generally in use. 7 With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may 45 subsequently appear the invention is carried into effect as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a sheet 50 of the ribbed product illustrating the manner of uniting adjacent sheets at their contiguous ends:

Fig. 2 is a detail in cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1:

' Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section of the outer 55 facing sheet taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2

showing the sheet as formed with an internal moisture resistant layer:

Fig. 4 is a detail in section and elevation as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows showing the manner of interconnecting adjacent ends of a pair of ribbed sheets:

Fig. 5 is a view in cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:

Fig. 6 is a detail in cross section showing a modified form of the invention in which the backing sheet is depicted as formed of corrugated board:

Fig. '7 is a view illustrating a manner of employing the ribbed sheet where it is to be utilized as a lath and depicting a manner of reinforcing the joints between ends of adjacent sheets:

Fig. 8 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7:

Fig. 9 is a perspective view depicting a modified form of the invention showing the board as adapted'to form a finished surface:

Fig. 10 is a view in section taken on the line I|0 of Fig. 9 showing a manner of reinforcing the hollow rib members:

Fig. 11 is aview in section illustrating a modified form of the reinforced construction depicted in Fig. 10: I

Fig. 12 is a detail view in perspective of a fragmentary portion of the board showing another mode of reinforcing the hollow rib members:

Fig. 13 is a diagram in cross section depicting the manner of flexing the board in forming a. curved surface:

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates a backing sheet and B designates a facing sheet which sheets are preferably formed of flexible fibrous material such as paper pulp board and the like, the sheet A being flat while the sheet B is corrugated to provide a series of parallel ribs l spaced a short distance apart to afford grooves l6. The'faci'ng sheet B is carried by the backing sheet A, being mounted thereon with the bottom walls ll of the grooves I6 abutting against and fastened to the backing sheet in any suitable fashion, but preferably by an adhesive l8.

As here shownthe bottom walls I! of the grooves are flat, as are the surface walls I9 of -1 and 2 which may be of any suitable dimensions.

It will now be seen that by the construction set forth the ribs i5 are hollow and accordingly provide air spaces 2| extending throughout the lengthsof the ribs. I I

The dove-tailed cross sectional construction of the ribs and grooves renders the board stiff and inflexible in the direction of the lengths of the ribs, while the connections between the bottom walls of the grooves with the backing sheet being spaced at intervals throughout the width of the board, together with the inherent flexible quality of the materials of the sheets A and B. renders the board capable of being flexed transversely of the ribs and grooves so that the board may be bent to form curved surfaces, such as coves, rounded corners, cylindrical columnsand the like, with the ribs extending at right angles to the direction of curvature.

By. forming the ribs hollow the board is rendered capable of being bent across the ribs as well as across the grooves as particularly shown in Fig. 13, thus imparting to the board a more uniform flexibility than is possible in ribbed boards having solid ribs, such as are formed of wood or hardened plastic compositions, where bending is limited to widths between adjacent ribs. 1

In bending the board the portion of the backing sheet A extending back of the ri s flexes more readily than where the double t ckness occurs at connection with the facing sheet, thus relieving the bottoms of the grooves of hinge action tending to break the board. This. bending of the backing sheet obviates placing the ribs under stress.

However the sheets A and B while being'flexible are sumciently rigid that when connected together the resultant panel will be quite stifl so that panels of considerable size may be readily handled without undue flexing. However in some instances it is desirable to reinforce the ribs as where the latter are formed of such widths that the surface walls I 9 and side walls 20. thereof would be subject to excessive flexing and collapsing as for example where the ribs are formed several inches in width. a

This reinforcement may be effected in various ways without departing from the hollow and flexible features of the ribs. Such a reinforcement is shown in Fig. 10 which comprises a channeled strip C formed of paper or similar sheet material capable of bending and which strip is positioned interiorly of the rib and is formed to conform to the inner surface thereof. The strip C may be fastened to the rib as by an adhesive or other suitable connection or it may be closely fitted therein to have such frictional engagement therewith as not to be readily shifted longitudinally relative to the rib.

Another form of the reinforcement is shown in Fig. 11 which embodies a channeled strip D corresponding to the strip C shown in Fig. 10 except that the longitudinal central portion thereof is formed with a fold 22 adapted when the strip D is inserted in the rib to abut against the backing sheet A so as to afford a support for the intermediate portion of the surface wall ii! of the rib. Any suitable numberof the folds 22 may be formed in the reinforcing strip D as may be required to afford adequate support of the outer wall of the rib where the latter is of such width as to require such reinforcement.

In the construction shown in Fig. 12 a zig-zag strip E of flexible material is arranged interiorly of the rib and extending edgewise between the sheets A and B and with its edges abutting the top or surface wall'of the rib and the backing sheet A, and with the bentportions contiguous the side walls 20.

It will now be seen that the reinforcement as above described serves to hold the top or outer walls IQ of the ribs l5 against collapsing under ordinary pressures to which they would be subjected. as for example in applying plaster to the ribbed surfaces of the board.

While the rib board is adapted to be applied to form a surface or surface covering with a series of boards arranged with adjacent edges of boards abutting, it is highly desirable in some instances as where the board is employed as a lath to overlap and interconnect the ends of adjacent boards as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 8 wherein the ends of the ribs at one end of a board are shown as telescoped in the ends of the.

readily receive the ends of the ribs of an adjacent board and extend in overlapped relation thereto as particularlyshown in Fig. 4. When the adjacent boards are thus interconnected the material forming the bottom walls H of the channels will become slightly crimped when inserted in the channels of an adjacent board and likewise the ends of the ribs projecting interior ly of other ribs will be contracted as particularly shown in Fig. 5.

Where the board is to be employed as a lath the joint between the ends of adjacent boards may be reinforced as by disposing a strip" of wire netting F over the joint and fastening it in place as by nails 23 as particularly shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Where greater rigidity is required the backing sheet A may be reinforced by adhering a corrugated strip 26 thereto faced with a backing sheet 21 as shown in Fig. 6, which in order to afford desired transverse flexibility is arranged with the corrugations of the sheet 26 extending in the direction of the length of the ribs I 5. However the board may be rendered quite stiff by running the corrugations of the strip 26 transversely of the ribs.

It has been found desirable in some instances to so form the ribbed facing sheet B as 'to render it impervious to penetration of moisture and yet provide an absorptive surface on its exterior. To accomplish this feature the facing sheet B is formed of a plurality of plies of sheet material, as shown for example in Fig. 3, including .an outer surfacing ply c of absorptive characteristics extending over and adhered to a ply d formed of waterproofed or moisture resistant sheet material. An inner surface ply e.of absorptive material may be applied over the ply d as shown, but notnecessarily so.

The board constructed in accordance with my invention is applicable to various uses in forming surfaces and obviously may be mounted in various fashions, on any suitable supports such as by nailing to studding 28 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The board may be applied to form a finished surface, either with the ribs-extending horizontally,

2. A ribbed board comprising a backing sheetor vertically, or diagonally, in which event the ribbed facing sheet B may be used uncoated, or it may be treated with any suitable surface coating such as paint, stain, spray and the like.

When thus empldyed a ribbed corrugated surface is formed which is highly decorative and is especially applicable for use in providing a background for window displays and the like.

Where the board is employed as a lath it is arranged and applied in the manner common in sheet lath construction, and is then coated with the usual plasters to form the desired plaster finish. In this'case the dove-tailed channels l6 serve to afford key connections between the plaster and the board, and the absorptive surface 0 of the facing sheet B. affords aready and substantial bond with the applied plaster.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction and arrangement shown but may employ such changes and modifications as occasion may require coming within the meaning and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ribbed board comprising a backing sheet, a facing sheet carried by said backing sheet, said facing sheet being formed with a series of spaced hollow ribs, said ribs and the grooves between contiguous ribs being of dove-tail cross section, and channeled reinforcing strips arranged interiorly of said ribs, said reinforcing strips bearing against the inner sides of said ribs throughout and having longitudinal folds bearing at their edges against said backing sheet.

and a facing sheet carried by said backing sheet. said facing sheet being formed with a series of spaced hollow ribs, said ribs and the grooves between contiguous ribs being of dove-tail cross section, said facing sheet being formed of a plurality of piles of sheet material embodying an absorptive surface sheet and an underlying moisture resistant sheet.

3. In a ribbed surface construction, a pair of ribbed boards each of which embodies a backing sheet and a facing sheet carried by the backing sheet formed with a series of spaced parallel hollow ribs, said boards being arranged end to end with the contiguous ends of the ribs thereof interconnected in telescoping engagement, and a reinforcing strip overlying the Joint between said boards and spanning the spaces between 'and a facing sheet, said facing sheet being formed with a series of spaced hollow ribs and having an absorptive outer surface, and means for preventing penetration of moisture from said absorptive surface through said facing sheet.

GEORGE .A. BU'I'IRESS. 

